President Obama Calls on Iranian President to Release American Pastor Saeed Abedini

Obama Calls for Pastor Saeed's Release

Fox News is reporting that a senior Obama Administration official has confirmed that President Obama has called for the release of American Pastor Saeed Abedini in a phone conversation today with Iranian President Rouhani.

The source stated that President Obama raised Pastor Saeed’s case along with two other Americans directly with the Iranian President. According to the report, President Obama raised concerns about the imprisonment of Saeed and expressed our country’s interest in seeing the American pastor returned to his family.

While Secretary of State Kerry has called on Iran to release Pastor Saeed, this is the first time that President Obama has himself spoken out about the wrongfully imprisoned U.S. citizen.

On behalf of the Abedini family, we're very encouraged by President Obama raising the illegal imprisonment of Pastor Saeed. Today’s call is a significant step forward in this critical case.

We're also grateful to President Obama for raising Pastor Saeed's imprisonment and call on President Rouhani to put his promise of being "moderate" into action by releasing Saeed without further delay.

Pastor Saeed's wife, Naghmeh, responded to the news:

"This is the most encouraging news I have heard since Saeed was imprisoned one year ago. I am very grateful to President Obama for standing up for Saeed and for the other Americans who are held captive in Iran. This development is truly an answer to prayer. I urge President Rouhani, as I have done thoughout this week, to release Saeed so he can return to our home and our family in the United States. In recent days, Iran has released 80 prisoners being held because of their beliefs. I pray that we can add Saeed to that list very soon."

Pastor Saeed, a U.S. citizen, has done nothing wrong and is imprisoned simply because of his Christian faith.

If President Rouhani wants to start a new relationship with the United States, releasing this American pastor, husband, and father now would send an important message to the world.

Good fences may make good neighbors, but in countries like Pakistan where religious tensions are high, even a simple dispute can become an excuse for violence. Our international affiliate, the European Centre for Law and Justice’s (ECLJ) office in Pakistan, the Organization for Legal Aid (OLA),

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